


N_Q's Rants: The Leo/Percy Bromance

by Nerdling_Queen



Series: bonds of blood and scars [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Author's Rant, First of it's kind! (at least for me), Gen, Seriously that's all this is, and why I think so many others like it, my inner thoughts about Lercy bromance and why this series exists, my thoughts on my own series and how it's developed, why I like the Lercy bromance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-04-02 20:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4072792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdling_Queen/pseuds/Nerdling_Queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My thoughts on why this series exists, why I like the child abuse angle for these characters, and my thoughts on why so many other people like it as well. Basically what's on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	N_Q's Rants: The Leo/Percy Bromance

Hello, minions!

So, like the title+summary broadcast, this is really just my opinions on the Lercy bromance and the child abuse angle. If that's not your cup of tea, then go away and read something else, like Solangelo. Browse my bookmarks, there's some nice recs there for ya.

Are all the pretenders gone? Good.

Let's jump in!

* * *

 

Honestly, I think one of the main reasons so many fans are drawn to the idea that Leo and Percy were abused as kids is because Rick heavily implies it, but he never  _quite_ comes out and says it. Like the quote in the summary for this series; Rick  _says_ straight out that Gabe has threatened Percy with bodily harm, but this can be taken as just an idle threat- in fact, the first time I read  _The Lightning Thief_ , I didn't even pick up on the child abuse notations. Granted, I was like seven years old (no seriously, I got started on the PJO books in like second grade), but still. Rick never quite states that yes, Percy has been hurt by Gabe. He states that about _Sally_ , but Percy? No way! Though, still on the subject of Percy, it's pretty obvious that he's been severely emotionally abused as well. His self-worth and -confidence is shot to hell, he constantly denies that he's a big deal or a worthy hero when basically his every action proves him wrong, and- especially when the series begins- sees himself as a complete loser. He even says it at some point, I think. Like on the drive to the museum, if not again. So, yeah, Percy's abuse is pretty damn clear to the discerning eye when you look at his character, but Rick just dodges the topic.

Leo's abuse, canonically, is definitely solidly in the realm of the emotional and mental. His aunt calls him a demon, he has serious trust issues, and his self-esteem is even worse than Percy's. He blames himself for his mother's death- again, not quite explicitly  _stated_ , but it's shown pretty damn well. He's slept in sewers, he doesn't trust the police or his own family, and he thinks he committed matricide at eight years old- if he doesn't have some serious issues by this point, I will abandon the dream cruise _Percabeth_ and board the kayake known as _Khronos/Percy_. (Yes, I just went there.) The physical aspect, on the other hand, is pretty subtle; even a careful reader won't find much on that. But honestly, I think the poor boy has enough on his plate with the mental stuff.

But back to my original point: I think that the Percy/Leo child abuse angle is so popular because it's  _almost_ canon... but not quite. It's incredibly heavily hinted at, and sometimes stated in an offhand comment from the narrator, but Rick himself never confirms it. He dances around the topic and it drives fans insane, because it's both  _incredibly obvious_ and  _infuriatingly subtle._ The aftereffects of child abuse, at least mental, are clear in both boys, but they can also be attributed to other things- Percy is just naturally humble and self-deprecating, or Leo has trust issues and hates his fire because of his rough childhood and Gaea's influence. It may be unintentional, but Rick is playing a little mind game with the readers about Leo and Percy's backstory, and he plays it  _well._ Simply by keeping us on the edges of our seats with hinting and never any real solid evidence, Rick  _almost_ makes it canon... but not quite.

Plus, every fan wants to see their favorite character hurt badly. It's just a thing of human nature.

That's my armchair psychology for the idea, at least. But I think I wrote the series for another reason.

* * *

 

So, first of all, I should admit that I actually wrote the original story shortly after I read _House of Hades_. I'd stumbled onto the fanfic scene the summer of 2014- my first fanfic was foreverskysong's  _Blood of Olympus_ , on FF.Net- and I was just starting to get into the swing of writing it. I found the abused!Percy/Leo corner of FF.Net pretty quickly- set filters to Angst/Hurt/Comfort and away we go- and I sort of fell in love with it. Like I said, I hadn't actually caught on to the abused!Percy connotations in the actual series, but by the time Leo and  _TLH_ rolled around, I was a little more perceptive. I already loved Leo angst, and this was just another way to tug my heartstrings.

Then I started writing for the fandom. My specialty is AUs, taking the characters and their relationships and changing the setting, but the abuse was more canon than a lot of people think. It was both something really out-of-character for me, but also perfect for me. My nickname in certain circles is the Angst Queen; I'm  _really good_ at making my favorite characters hurt. But I'm also a hopeless romantic- yes, I am, I can be both of those at the same time- so angsty, painful schmoop with a happy yet open ending, a story that only diverges  _slightly_ from canon but enough to make a real difference? This was a series and a story I'm perfectly equipped to write.

Now, I'm not saying mine is the best. It's not. There are flaws that come of my inexperience at the time and my insecurity with being a fledgling author. And I have a list of stories that I think did the abuse angle really well. But what I  _am_ saying is that because of my writing style, and my clashing interests, I'm a really good candidate to write about this.

I'm also not saying that I'm exempt from the psychology of Rick's almost-canon BS. I am definitely not- I'm as susceptible to it as anyone else. I just use it and make a story out of it.

* * *

 

Thanks for reading, minions! Chapter 7 (we are on seven, right?) will be posted later this afternoon.


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